


where the dirt road runs out

by korilove



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Campfires, Camping, F/M, Gen, McCall Pack, Skinny Dipping, Slow Burn, Stargazing, basically pack fluff with a focus on stydia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 04:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5233943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/korilove/pseuds/korilove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"Are you sure we're going the right way?" She questions, eyebrows raised as they follow the tracks, the ground getting softer under the wheels. </em>
</p><p>  <em>"Lydia, I think I know how to get to get there." Stiles shrugs her off, confidence pouring out of his tone. "It is mine and Scott's secret camping spot for a reason."</em> </p><p>  <em>"I'm sure you do." Lydia retorts. "I just don't think the jeep's gonna make it there." </em> </p><p>Or, the one where the pack goes camping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	where the dirt road runs out

**Author's Note:**

> So here's basically some cheesy, happy pack fic times, since that last season was anything but :'(. I started writing this around 5x01 - 5x03, so Stiles had not killed Donovan at this point, so it's basically canon divergent from there? Also I'm not all that happy with the ending, but this has been in the works since the summer so I just needed to get this posted!
> 
> As always, thank you to my betas Polina and Sibele, forever making my writing 100000000 times better!
> 
> Title is from Mud on the Tires by Brad Paisley.

Lydia Martin was not a big fan of the outdoors. 

  
  
Sure, she lived in California and the scenery was breathtaking, but Lydia would much rather spend her time with endeavors of the mind; research, memorization, mathematics, and experiments.

  
  
And then she was bitten by a psychotic, sociopathic werewolf, who unleashed high pitched screams and voices in her head that she could never escape. Thankfully the pack was there through everything, led by a true alpha and Lydia was grateful for everything they'd done for her.

  
  
But when their idea of a last hurrah before leaving Beacon Hills for college was a camping trip in the preserve, she wasn't exactly on board.

  
  
"Really?" She raised her eyebrows at Stiles, orchestrating a plot to murder him in her mind for suggesting it.

  
  
"Come on, Lydia! It's not like we'll be able to go camping in San Francisco." Kira piped up, obviously excited.

  
  
Malia lightly nudges the redhead in the ribs. "Yeah, Lydia come on. You'll miss out if you don't come!"

  
  
Scott merely smiles, knowing her protests were in vain; the pack was obviously in agreement and she was the only plaintiff.

  
  
Lydia just sighed and shook her head, Stiles, Liam, Mason and Isaac whooping in triumph.

  
So here she was, piled into the passenger seat of the jeep with all the essentials packed (yes, her textbooks for her first semester at Stanford were an essential), listening to Stiles ramble on about the pack's plans for the weekend.   
  


All the werewolves (werecoyote and kitsune included if you wanted to get technical) were running up to Scott and Stiles' secret camping spot, which left Lydia and Stiles to lug all the gear in the jeep. The inside of the car was packed with everything; marshmallows and hot dogs, various types of liquor - including beer and whiskey - soda and juice, tents, sleeping bags and everyone's overnight bag. It was so full that even Lydia was a bit uncomfortable, having pulled the seat ahead to fit more in.   
  


Things had been, well, weird between she and Stiles for the past few weeks. He and Malia had ended things months ago and she'd stopped "seeing" Parrish - if that's what you'd call shamelessly flirting with a deputy for months that may have ended in a kiss that had no spark - a few months earlier.   
  


Ever since then it was like she and Stiles had picked up where they left off; bickering over trivial things and studying in his bedroom, absentminded touches that lingered and charged, not-so-subtle looks that leave Lydia wondering if he'll make a move, and making her angry with herself that she wants him to.

 

If it were anyone else, she would have sucked it up and jumped them already. But this was Stiles - dorky, sharp as a tack, all or nothing Stiles. And if she were being honest with herself, the thought of him - being with him - terrifies her a little bit, probably because whatever this is feels different and more intense than it ever had with anyone else. 

  
Lydia's pulled from her thoughts as Stiles veers the jeep onto a dirt road she's never been on.

  
"Uh, Stiles?" She protests when the road starts to disappear, all that's left is tire tracks in the forest bed.   
  


"Hmm?" He turns his head towards her expectantly.

  
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" She questions, eyebrows raised as they follow the tracks, the ground getting softer under the wheels.   
  


"Lydia, I think I know how to get to get there." Stiles shrugs her off, confidence pouring out of his tone. "It is _mine_ and Scott's secret camping spot for a reason."

  
"I'm sure you do." Lydia retorts. "I just don't think the _jeep_ 's gonna make it there."

  
Stiles gasps in mock horror. "I will have you know that this is an off-road vehicle. There's nowhere we can't get to in this."

  
But Stiles eats his words a few minutes later when the jeep gets stuck in a mud hole.

  
As soon as they land in it Lydia starts to smirk, the feeling of being right spreading throughout her veins. She glances over to Stiles and opens her mouth to speak, but he holds up a finger and shakes his head.

 

"Don't even say it, Lyds." He huffs, jumping out of the seat, door slamming behind him.

 

Lydia laughs under her breath but says nothing, deciding to go easy on him since he's going to have to get the jeep out on his own; there was no way she was getting muddy.

 

After about 15 minutes of digging, Stiles comes back to the driver's side, dark smears of mud on his forehead.

 

"Can you give it some gas?" He asks, breathless from exertion.

 

Lydia looks up from her textbook she'd been reading and nods curtly. Leaving her heels behind, she slides over into the seat next to her and turns over the engine.

 

Stiles walks back to push on the rear of the jeep. "Go ahead!" He shouts.

 

Lydia gives it some gas, but the wheels only spin in place. "Again!" Stiles yells back to her.

 

Lydia puts the pedal to the floor, spraying Stiles with water and muck; he looks like a kicked puppy who had a little too much fun in a mud puddle.

 

She can't hold back the laugh that bursts out of her chest, Stiles spits out the dirt in his mouth, a particularly sour look on his face.

 

Then, he reaches down into the mud and pulls up a handful of the soggy dirt in his fist. "You're dead." He mutters, a sinister smile on his face. He reaches for the driver door, wrenching on it to reveal his intentions with the mud, making Lydia's eyes go wide.

 

"Don't you da-" She protests, but it's too late. Stiles’ hands smear the mud into whatever he can get his hands on; her cheeks, chest, even in her hair. Lydia pushes him back and jumps out of the car, frantically reaching for her own handfuls of mud to throw back at him.

 

Stiles dodges her throws like a cat, light on his feet. He tosses more mud her way, caking the black into her green sundress. Furious, Lydia runs after him, around the jeep, flinging balls of mud his way until one hits him square in the back of the head. His head whips around so fast she doesn’t have time to turn and run the other way. Instead, Stiles ends up charging and tackling her and she ends up with her back down in the mud, his body pressing her down into the filth.

 

Lydia’s chest heaves from the adrenaline as she looks up at him, the mischievousness melting away from his features. Her eyes shift from the different smear patterns on his face to the amber of his eyes, her breathing hitches and her heart races even faster.

 

It takes Stiles a moment to gather himself and scramble off of her, sitting his ass in the mud to her left side. “Sorry.” He says, grasping her hand and pulling her up.

 

As Lydia sits up there’s a loud squelching noise, making Stiles lose it laughing. Lydia can’t even try to be mad, she just laughs right along with him.

 

When their laughter subsides, Stiles goes to wipe a bit of mud off her cheek. “You got a little mud right - here.” He whispers as he swipes his thumb across the apple of her cheek. His hand lingers there for a moment, sending shivers down Lydia’s spine. His eyes flit down to her lips and then back up to her eyes, and every molecule in her body wants him to just lean in and kiss her already.

 

His hands reach into her mud-caked hair and he pulls her closer, and she lets her eyes flutter closed. The anticipation building in her belly is making her tremble, sending aches of want into her bloodstream. She can feel his breath ghost over her chin before his lips gently graze hers.

 

The sound of Stiles’ phone ringing forces him away, jolting the two of them apart. Stiles digs in his pocket for his phone, answering with haste as he stands up and walks away from Lydia.

 

Swearing under her breath, the banshee places her hands in the mud and props herself up off the ground. She briefly inspects the damage, only able to find one small patch of green cotton that's untouched by the nearly-black mud and dirt.

 

"That was Scott." Stiles is standing in front of Lydia when she looks up, a sheepish look on his face. "He was wondering where we are since they're already there."

 

Lydia licks her lips. "What’d you tell him?" She asks, looking anywhere but at his face and rocking on her heels.

 

Stiles absentmindedly scratches the back of his head. "Uh, just that I got the jeep stuck but we're on our way."

 

Nodding, Lydia starts to make her way back to the jeep. "Good," She says, adding another "good." Under her breath as she slides into the passenger seat.

 

* * *

 

They stay silent for a long time, Lydia's mind reeling with the _almost_ kiss. She wonders if it was just a "heat of the moment" thing, or if maybe something could finally happen between them. And if something was happening, was she ready for it?

 

In the meantime, she watches the mud dry on the skin of Stiles' arms as he drives, the dark mud lightning to grey, the dusty hair of his forearms matted into it. Her eyes follow the veins that travel from his wrists up to where they disappear under his rolled up hoodie.

 

Finally, Lydia breaks the silence. "Stiles, how are we supposed to get cleaned up out here? It's not like there's a shower. Or laundry for that matter."

 

Stiles' mouth turns up in a knowing smile. "You'll see."

 

With that, he pulls into a clearing, and a few of the pack members start to come into view.

 

Scott, Liam and Derek are clearing out a place for the tents, Kira directing them. Malia and Isaac are leaned up against a big spruce tree, engrossed in conversation. Braeden and Mason are just arriving, pulling their helmets off as Braeden kills the engine on her bike.

 

Stiles copies Braeden and parks the jeep near the edge of the clearing. He shoots Lydia an apologetic look before he hops out.

 

Blowing out a sigh, Lydia opens up her door and gets out, only to be met by varying looks from the pack that fills the forest with an awkward silence.

 

"What happened to you guys?" Braeden asks, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

 

Isaac mumbles something that Lydia doesn't catch to Malia and she starts laughing. Kira looks like she's trying really hard not to laugh too, turning away from them for a moment.

 

"I thought you said you just got stuck?" Scott shoots to Stiles, eyebrows knitted.

 

Stiles laughs nervously. "We did." He mumbles.

 

Derek shrugs from beside Braeden and heads for the jeep, pulling the contents from it. "Are you guys gonna just keep staring at them or are you gonna help me set up?"

 

That seems to break everyone out of their gawking, and the boys all join Derek in emptying the jeep. Lydia breathes a sigh of relief at the awkward moment receding, when Stiles pulls her away by the hand.

 

"Where are we going?" She huffs, still slightly annoyed from the drying clay stuck to her.

 

"You'll see."

 

Lydia licks her lips, preparing to argue. "Stiles, stop saying 'you'll see'!"

 

The rest of her point gets lost when a waterfall comes into view, the clear water pooling at the bottom in a spring. Stiles looks back at Lydia and smiles. "I told you it was a secret spot for a reason." He quips.

 

Lydia nods and licks her lips, making her way over to the spring. "Just get washed up for now, we'll come back later when the camp's set up for a swim." Stiles rambles off as he follows her.

 

Deciding there was no helping her dress, Lydia gets right in the spring, clothes and all. The water is surprisingly warm, spreading over her skin and providing instant relief from the grime. When she pops back up to the surface, she sees that Stiles hasn't entered the water yet, instead he is gaping at her - eyes wide and mouth lax.

 

Lydia throws him a look. "Aren't you getting in?"

 

Stiles nods furiously and dives in, ending up right beside her. "I’m guessing you want to take a swim now?"

 

Lydia laughs, but doesn't answer. She works on getting the clumps of clay out of her hair, but it proves to be difficult. She dips her head further into the water to try to loosen the mats, but she doesn’t have to go too far.

 

A pair of large hands and long fingers start carefully pulling apart the caked mud strands, softly working through all of her hair until there isn’t really a reason to be playing with it anymore. Lydia relishes in the feeling, something so innocent but it feels strangely intimate. Stiles' fingers weave through the strands, combing through it and ending up splaying on her shoulders.

 

“STILES!”

 

Lydia turns swiftly towards the sound of his name coming from the camp, severing the lingering touch of his hands. “Was that Derek?” She wonders out loud.

 

Stiles just smirks. “I have a feeling I know what it’s about. Come on.” He says before heading back to the clearing.

 

Lydia quickly wrings out her hair and jogs to catch up, getting there just in time to see Derek holding out a tent bag in his hands, a furious look on his face.

 

“What is this?” He throws at Stiles, tossing the tent bag on the ground. Lydia does a quick scan of the label, and doesn’t realize the issue until she reads: _sleeps 15 people_.

 

"It's a tent, what does it look like?" Stiles quips, but not looking up at Derek.

 

The camp stays silent.

 

"Aw, come on guys! In two weeks we're all going off to college and we're not going to spend as much time together!" Stiles rambles off, turning around to the different pack members.

 

"Me and Braeden aren't going to college." Derek adds, eyebrows raised.

 

"We're all still going to be in the Bay Area, Stiles." Scott pipes up, looking a bit skeptical.

 

"Technically I'm not going to college either. I just don't have anywhere else to go." Isaac throws in.

 

"I think it's a great idea. It's not like we'll be going camping together again for a while." Mason agrees, face lit up.

 

"I agree."

 

Lydia doesn't even realize she'd spoken the words out loud until everyone turns her way, shocking the pack for the second time that day.

 

A beat passes before Lydia manages to organize her thoughts. "I mean, we're already here, going back for different tents isn't exactly practical."

 

Derek sighs. "You're right. But if I have to put this up, you're all definitely helping."

 

Isaac shoots Stiles an angry look, but he shrugs it off. "That was the plan."

 

* * *

 

"So what's going on with you and Isaac?"

 

Malia ignores Lydia's question at first, pulling down another tree before Kira dices it up with her katana.

 

"What do you mean?" She finally says.

 

"Come on, Malia, you know what she means." Kira prods, sheathing her blade back into her belt loops. "There is some serious flirting going on there."

 

"It's not like that.” The coyote mumbles, bending down to gather up the chopped wood in her arms.

 

“Mhmm.” Lydia hums, insinuation laced in the tone of it as she and Kira mimic Malia and grab what they can for firewood in their arms before starting to trek back to the campsite.

 

Malia looks over her shoulder. “What?”

 

Kira raises her eyebrows. “Isaac’s moving with us to San Francisco. He’s not even going to school. Why do you think that is?” She teases.

 

“He doesn’t have anywhere else to go!”

 

Lydia has to stifle a laugh. “I'm pretty sure if he wanted to, Derek and Braeden would take him in. He _wants_ to come with us.”

 

Malia throws her armload of firewood a little too roughly into the pile at the edge of the campsite. “He just doesn't want to be separated from the pack." She says bluntly, dusting her hands off on her jean shorts.

 

Kira and Lydia share a look before adding their own arm loads to the pile.

 

"Okay, what's going on between you and Stiles, then?" Malia changes the subject, a smug smile on her face.

 

Kira whips her head back to Lydia, and for a second the redhead can't hide her emotions. Her mouth drops open in surprise, heart speeding up.

 

"Nothing's going on with me and Stiles." She denies, mashing her lips together. She knows both of them can hear her heartbeat and probably smell her emotions, but for some reason she can't seem to admit it.

 

"Lydia, it's okay. You don't have to tiptoe around me, you know." Malia assures her, stepping closer, sincerity written all over her face.

 

Instantly, Lydia feels like shit. Both of these girls are her friends. She should be able to be honest with them about this.

 

"I know, Mal. But there's nothing to tell" Lydia's mind deciding now is not the time to delve into the messy complications that is her friendship - relationship? - with Stiles.

 

Probably a good thing too, since Scott and Stiles turn the corner of the tent just then, Isaac, Mason and Liam following close behind.

 

* * *

 

After Braeden and Malia get the fire going, the rest of the pack gathers around in a circle, drinks in hand. Derek had brought an herb for the wolves, simulating the feeling of being drunk.

 

"Peter may have left a stash of it in the vault." Was Derek's only explanation as he handed a bag to each of the shapeshifters of the pack.

 

Kira had gotten out the guitar and started to play any song she knew; Scott, Stiles and Mason singing along. Even though Scott and Mason couldn’t carry a tune to save their lives, Lydia finds that Stiles’ voice isn’t half bad. Malia and Isaac are huddled up in one corner, laughing in their own world. Derek and Braeden are teasing Liam, Derek's hands ruffling the youngest beta's hair in jest.

 

Lydia's seated between Stiles and Mason, roasting a marshmallow on the end of a severed branch. She tries to ignore the feeling in her stomach when Stiles' shoulder brushes hers, but every time it happens, her insides do a back flip. She can practically feel Scott's gaze after the sixth flopping feeling, but Lydia ignores that too.

 

"What is _that_?" Stiles asks incredulously, finger pointing out at the burning marshmallow that Lydia's blowing on to put out the flame.

 

"It's a marshmallow, Stiles." Lydia huffs, gently pulling the charcoaled treat off the end of the stick.

 

"No, that's a _burnt_ marshmallow." He laughs as it crumbles into nothing in Lydia's hands.

 

Lydia sighs angrily, wiping the burned mess onto the log she’s sitting on before bending down and picking another marshmallow out of the bag to try again. But before she can even get it onto the end of the branch, Stiles is grabbing them out of her hands.

 

“Uh uh. I’m not letting you put another one of these to waste.” He teases. “I’ll show you how to roast a marshmallow to perfection.”

 

Stiles makes a show of carefully placing the marshmallow on the end of the branch before leaning it into a break in the fire, turning sporadically over the hot coals on the bottom of the flaming logs. The outside of the sweet bubbles and turns brown, creating a crust over the entirety of it.

 

Stiles takes the branch out of the fire and pulls the marshmallow off the end, offering it out to Lydia. “Here.” He says, leaning over and feeding it to her.

 

Lydia takes a bite around his fingers and her mouth is filled with gooey sweetness, matched with the perfect crunch of the crust. She feels his fingers linger at the entrance of her mouth as she chews, humming appreciatively. He feeds the last bit of marshmallow to her, this time his fingers end up on the inside of her mouth. When he pulls them away, he suckles one into his mouth, the remnants of marshmallow disappearing and Lydia feels her breath catch.

 

“So?” He asks when he finishes licking his fingers clean.

 

Lydia nods, trying to hide the flush she feels burning over her cheeks. “Very good.”

 

“Yeah?” Stiles’ tone is laced with something Lydia can’t put her finger on, but it feels like some sort of affirmation of whatever is going on between them.

 

“Yes,” She laughs. “Now make me another one.” She demands, nudging him playfully in the ribs. Stiles just laughs with her and bends down to get another marshmallow. Lydia catches the look Kira’s throwing her way, but decides to ignore it as she hums along under her breath, eyes locked on the boy beside her.

 

* * *

 

When the fire starts to burn into embers, Braeden and Derek head off to the tent. Derek gives them all a menacing glare, which Lydia takes as a sign to get out of the campsite for a while.

 

"Follow me." Lydia whispers in Stiles' ear, grasping his hand without thinking about it to pull him along. Stiles waves to the rest of their friends and they all trudge along the short path to the swimming hole.

 

"What's a camping trip without a midnight swim?" Lydia laughs, reaching for the hem of her dress.

 

But Malia gets there first, stripping her top and shorts off and diving in. Lydia and Kira follow suit, ending up in the water before any of the boys have even moved.

 

When Lydia bobs back up to the surface, she can see Stiles standing on the edges of the spring. Even in the dark she can make out the perplexed look on his face, wide eyed and mouth hanging open slightly, similar to that afternoon.

 

He and Isaac appear to be the only ones still on land, Mason had stripped off immediately after the girls and pulled Liam in with him. Scott shimmied down to his boxer shorts and cannon balled into the water, soaking the two boys still on land.

 

"Come on, Stiles!" Liam shouts, pushing water up with his hands to splash him.

 

That seems to break Stiles out of his reverie. He and Isaac share a look before he pulls off his hoodie and shirt, shucking his jeans off.

 

This time it's Lydia who's awe-faced, eyes travelling the length of Stiles' body before he jumps in, followed closely by Isaac. She'd never noticed that he'd filled out a bit since sophomore year, the muscles are more defined than she'd thought. She suddenly wishes it were brighter, so she might be able to see the moles that dot his skin, follow the dusty hair from his chest to his waistline.

 

Stiles breaks the surface of the water to her right, breaking her out of her thoughts. He waggles his eyebrows at her and she can't help but roll her eyes at him.

 

"Alright, let's make this interesting, shall we?" Stiles backstrokes into the middle of the pack. "Who's up for a game of 'I never'?"

 

Scott groans. "You only like that game because most of the time you can win."

 

"Yeah, no fair Stiles." Liam whines.

 

“You’d be surprised what I’ve done.” Stiles boasts, waggling his eyebrows again and Lydia has to choke back a laugh.

 

"How can we play 'I never' if we have no drinks?" Isaac asks, skepticism etched into his features.

 

"I was getting to that." Stiles responds, a smug look spreading over his face that Lydia knows well. "Since there's no drinks, if you've done it, you lose a piece of clothing."

 

"But we're already in our underwear?" Kira wonders out loud.

 

Lydia holds back a chuckle. "I think that's the point, Kira." Kira’s cheeks flush a bit at that.

 

“No, this is great. I’ll probably beat all of you since I spent most of my teenage years with a fur coat.” Malia says, earning her the reward of heads turning in her direction.

 

“Hang on, the girls have a _serious_ advantage here.” Isaac protests. “We’ve got one chance and that’s it” he says, pointing between himself and Scott to signify he means the boys.

 

“I don’t think so. We may have more chances but you don’t have to cover your chest, either.” Lydia snarks, calling him out. Kira laughs and Malia makes whooping noises, settling the argument without question.

 

“Okay, so who goes first?” Liam asks.

 

Stiles jumps on the opportunity. “The game was my idea, I get to go first.”

 

Scott just groans, like he knows that Stiles will go for him first. Stiles smirks as he thinks on his question, before his features start to change. Lydia reads it before anyone else, and she can just tell he’s got the perfect question.

 

“Never have I ever… made out in coach’s office.” He says, a triumphant sound in his voice and a raise of his eyebrows.

 

Scott’s eyes close in slight embarrassment and he pulls off his boxers, handing them to Stiles, who does a fist pump in the air. Lydia just sighs, bending under the water to pull off her lacy panties. When she gets them off she twirls them around her index finger before Stiles snatches them out of her grasp, a particularly smug look on his face as he wades back to the shore to drop off the undergarments. Liam and Mason wolf whistle and break out in laughter as Kira’s mouth drops open.

 

“You made out in coach’s office?!” Kira gasps, scandalized as she looks at Scott. Stiles breaks out in a guffaw and Lydia elbows him hard in the ribs.

 

Scott grimaces. “It was my first full moon! And I wasn’t exactly thinking straight.” He explains. Kira’s face softens and she chuckles, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief before joining her.

 

“And I’ve done it multiple times, so. No shame here.” Lydia adds, shrugging her shoulders.

 

“Okay, so Scott’s turn.” Mason says, pointing to the true alpha.

 

Scott’s face lights up with a mischievousness that Lydia’s never seen, a wide smile stretching over his face. “Never have I ever pranked Derek.” He grins, before adding: “Successfully.”

 

Lydia watches as all of the boys, save for Isaac, start to pull off their underwear and hand them to Stiles, who places his own boxers on the top of the pile on the shore. Scott high fives Liam, who has to jump up to meet his alpha’s hand. Lydia can’t help but laugh as Mason swings his underwear in a helicopter above his head before turning them over.

 

And then Malia’s handing over her panties too, causing confused looks and more laughter.

 

“ _You_ pranked _Derek_?!” Isaac asks her, eyebrows raised and an incredulous look.

 

Malia shrugs. “Braeden and I were bored one day.” Is her only explanation, hip checking Isaac when he doesn’t respond.

 

“Okay, me now.” Liam says, zeroing in on Kira. “Never have I ever watched an entire film series in a weekend.”

 

Kira shakes her head and pushes Liam before giving up her boyshorts. “I’m allowed to marathon Harry Potter if I want to!” She says, crossing her arms in front of her. Scott laughs and pulls her closer, whispering in her ear before melting the scowl off her face.

 

“If I were a girl, I would totally be naked right now.” Stiles says proudly, obviously referencing his obsession with Star Wars would have put him out of the game.

 

“Stiles, naked, already you are.” Lydia points out, mimicking yoda. Mason and Malia’s laughter is obscene as Stiles flips her the middle finger, earning him another elbow in the ribs.

 

“My turn!” Malia says eagerly, placing her hands on her hips. “Never have I ever…” She turns around to look at everyone in the pack with careful eyes, a playful gleam in her eye. “Liked someone in the pack!”

 

Kira rolls her eyes and unclasps her lime green bra, Scott stepping in front of her as if to shield her from the rest of their friends. Isaac sheepishly hands over his boxers, unable to look in Malia’s direction. Stiles laughs as Malia gives up her bra too, handing it over to him.

 

“Anything to get naked, huh Mal?” He manages between breaths.

 

Malia winks at him. “You bet your ass!” She laughs. “Clothes are so constricting.”

 

Lydia has an inner struggle as she watches this unfold. She could deny any feelings she has for Stiles right here and now; it would be so easy to cheat. But she still feels this pull towards Stiles that she can’t seem to shake. He’s looking in her direction too, and Lydia thinks about how he must be expecting her to give it up too. It’s in no way a confirmation, but somehow it feels like one.

 

“Fuck it.” She breathes, the liquor in her veins swallowing her inhibitions. She makes a show of removing her bra, taking the straps off her shoulders before unclasping it in the back and handing it over. “Be careful with that, it was expensive.” She warns Stiles as he fist pumps her bra into the air in triumph, a wide smile on his face.

 

“You must be in your glory, Stiles.” Isaac teases, pointing to the girls. “You’ve never seen so many _real_ boobs in your life.” He snickers.

 

Stiles just laughs. “Nah, there’s only one set I haven’t seen before.”

 

Immediately, Lydia cringes a bit and shakes her head. Mason and Liam share a confused look before turning back to Stiles. “What are you talking about?” Liam wonders out loud.

 

Stiles shrugs and jerks his head towards Malia. “Well, I think that’s self explanatory, and Lydia once had a naked stroll through the woods that just so happened to end in front of half the sheriff department and _this_ lucky guy.” He finishes, thumbs pointing inwardly.

 

Lydia scoffs, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I was in a fugue state brought on by awakening as a banshee. Which, I might add, I had to figure out on my _own_.”

 

Stiles holds his hands out in front of him. “Still got to see you naked.” He quips.

 

Lydia clicks her tongue, a particularly evil thought crossing her mind. She bends down into the water and pushes out with her hands, creating a wave of water that engulfs Stiles, while also soaking Isaac and Malia.

 

Stiles’ tongue darts out and licks his lips before he wipes the water out of his face with his hands. “You are so dead.” Is all he says, splashing her back with the same amount of force, back splashes that hit Liam and Mason with ferocity.

 

Soon, the pack is in a full out water war - Liam, Mason, Scott, Kira and Lydia on one side and Malia, Stiles and Isaac on the other. Laughter mixed with squeals and yelling fill the air, rushing water overlapping everything else. At some point, Stiles gets close enough to Lydia that he reaches out and grabs her sides, pulling her close to him before dunking her under the water. But Lydia gets him back by tripping him up and he ends up underwater too.

 

Thankfully the darkness and murky water obscures any possible viewing of his body, as she'd have a hard time explaining the scent of arousal that the shapeshifters would definitely pick up.

 

The water fight dies down when Scott manages to get Stiles in a headlock, the rest of the human’s team deciding they really didn’t want to see Stiles’ junk if Scott pulled him up enough.

 

The pack disperses around the swimming hole - Liam, Mason, Malia, and Isaac swim further out, treading water in a circle, while Scott, Kira, Lydia and Stiles head back to shore to rummage through the pile of undergarments on the bank.

 

Lydia tries not to let her eyes wander as she pulls her clothes back on, but with little success. Even though it’s dark, she can’t help but scope out the elongated lines of Stiles’ body  - the sprawling and awkward limbs; the jutting edges of his wrists, collar bones and hips. She’s a bit sad to see them covered up again.

 

She registers that Stiles has said something because he’s looking at her expectantly, but she’d been too engulfed in her lusting after him. Damn it.

 

“Hmm?”

 

Stiles laughs. “Are you done checking me out or?” He quips, hands opening slightly at his words.

 

Lydia scoff comes too easy, she knows he’s caught her, but she isn’t about to let him really know it. Instead of letting him get cocky about it, she grabs his wrist and pulls him away from the rest of the pack.

 

“Lyds, where are we going?”

 

“To get another drink.”

 

* * *

  

“This is so lame.”

 

Stiles kinks an eyebrow as he turns over to face her. “Stargazing is not _lame_ Lyds. It’s very setting appropriate.” He says before settling onto his back, left arm under his head to prop it up before taking a swig of his beer.

 

Stiles decided that the rightful thing to do after a night of campfires and skinny dipping, stargazing was the obvious way to end the night. Lydia disagreed, but not having an alternative idea, was forced to participate.

 

Lydia sighs and sits up, moving her damp hair out from the back of her neck. It’s starting to dry, much more curly and unruly than usual without any hair product to tame it. “What am I supposed to look at, anyway?”

 

Stiles makes a mock gasping noise. “Uhm, the stars. That’s the whole point of _stargazing_.”

 

“I’m aware of that, thank you.” Lydia snarks, lying back down. Stiles says nothing, and Lydia looks blankly up at the pinpoint lights above her. “I mean, which constellations are visible?”

 

Stiles turns to look at her again. “Have you never looked for constellations before?” He questions, searching her eyes for the answer.

 

Lydia bites her bottom lip and slowly shakes her head. “Never really had the time.”

 

Stiles shifts closer to her, pointing his hand out at the sky. “Well, that’s Hercules right there,” He forms the outline with his finger, before pointing to another to the left of them. “That’s Scorpio,” He continues, once again drawing the outline out for her. “And of course, Ursa Major and Minor”

 

“I think everyone knows how to find The Big Dipper and Little Dipper, Stiles. And Scorpio is a Zodiac sign, I think you mean Scorpius.” Lydia corrects.

 

She shifts her eyes back to Stiles’ face, and the awed look he seems to be sporting today is back. “So you know about constellations but you’ve never wanted to find them in the sky?” His question is quiet and sincere, void of the jest that usually laces his tone when he has something over her in the intelligence department.

 

Lydia gives a noncommittal hum, shrugging her shoulders. “I’ve never even been camping, Stiles. My parents aren’t exactly outdoorsmen.”

 

Stiles’ features change into shock, mouth lax. “Never been camping!?" He whispers under his breath. If he hadn't been so close, Lydia would never have even heard it.

 

Lydia turns over onto her side. “I never went with my parents, and this is the first time we’ve gone as a pack right?” Stiles nods, understanding. It’s not like she would have gone camping with Jackson and their old friends, and she definitely hadn’t had time before Allison was taken from them.

 

“Well, what do you think, so far?” He asks, amber irises flitting down to look at her lips for a fraction of a second before back up to her eyes.

 

Lydia licks her lips and mashes them together before responding. “It’s not as bad as I thought.” She whispers.

 

Somehow, their hands have ended up twined together, their drinks forgotten. Lydia’s not sure if she reached out when memories of Allison reached her thoughts, or if he did. Either way, Stiles’ thumb softly rubs back and forth over her own, sending little sparks over her skin. His eyes are soft as they bore into hers, and she easily loses herself in them.

 

She doesn’t realize she’s leaning into him until his other hand comes up to cup her cheek, pulling her closer. Lydia doesn’t try to fight it, even though she has reservations in the back of her mind. All she can do is chase this feeling coursing through her, heart racing as the anticipation builds.

 

Stiles’ eyes flutter closed and Lydia has a split second to appreciate the beauty of his eyelashes before her own eyelids fall. She closes the gap between them, pressing her lips to his softly.

 

It’s different than the last time she’d kissed him, which had been fueled by adrenaline and panic-filled, and only reciprocated about halfway through. This time, Stiles returns the pressure immediately, his lips soft and supple against hers. Lydia pulls away before pressing back again, this time tongues dart out to taste, gently swiping against the other. He tastes like marshmallows and beer, and something else she can’t place. She can hear her heartbeat in her ears as Stiles pulls away and tilts his head as he leans in again.

 

“Ow! Shit!”

 

The sound breaks them apart, scrambling to sit up and see where the noise was coming from.

 

Liam’s standing about 2 feet away from them, holding an unlit flashlight. He’s apparently run into a tree stump, stubbing his foot.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to int-” He tries.

 

“Uh huh.”Stiles holds out the hand that had been holding Lydia close to him, stopping Liam’s speech. “Don’t even think about it, buddy.”

 

Liam frowns and nods his head, turning to go back to the spring to join the rest of the pack who are still awake, and Lydia gets the feeling he was actually looking for Stiles.

 

"Stiles." Lydia raises her eyebrows, jerking her head towards where Liam just disappeared.

 

Stiles' eyes are still closed as he grimaces, waving his hand out to her in an attempt to shush her words.

 

" _Stiles_." She repeats. "You can't just leave him like that.

 

He sighs, blowing the breath out his nose. "I know." He gets up from where seconds ago they were tangled together, offering her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I'll be right back."

 

Lydia lets out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Whatever was going on between her and Stiles was just going to have to wait.

 

* * *

 

Daylight the next morning comes far too fast for Lydia’s liking.

 

The pounding behind her eyes and the scratchy, dryness in her mouth is uncomfortable to say the least. Not to mention her overly frizzy hair is sticking to her, the warmth of the sunlight spreading a layer of sweat over her skin, which isn’t being helped by the fact that she’s sandwiched between Scott and Malia. Groaning, she shuts her eyes and tries to go back to sleep.

 

Then the blankets are ripped away, and even through her sleepy and hungover brain, she contemplates the different ways she could _murder_ whoever was trying to wake them up.

 

“Rise and shine, sleepyheads!”

 

The fact that Stiles is trying to wake up the pack shouldn’t even surprise her - at this point everything with him was either maddening or confusing in her mind.

 

Lydia listens to him shuffle from the end of the string of air mattresses, ending up above her and Scott’s heads. “Come on Scotty,” She hears him whisper “It’s time for phase two.”

 

She feels the true alpha move, the air mattress beneath her shifting as he sits up. “Already?” He asks softly, voice heavy with sleep.

 

There’s no comment from Stiles, but Scott rocks the stability of the mattress as he gets up. Lydia isn’t the only one who groans in protest, Kira and Malia also give sounds of disapproval from the movement.

 

“Come on, Lyds. There’s a bottle of water and a greasy breakfast out there with your name on it.” Stiles voice is soft against her ear as he speaks.

 

Lydia opens one eye to glare at him. “I don’t eat greasy _anything_ , let alone breakfast.”

 

Stiles grins at her. “I know. I made a mushroom and goat cheese omelette for you.”

 

Suddenly Lydia’s stomach feels incredibly empty, and the prospect of Stiles’ cooking too tempting to resist.

 

Damn him.

 

“Fine.” She huffs as she untangles her legs from Malia’s and grudgingly takes the water bottle clutched in Stiles' outstretched hands.

 

* * *

 

About an hour later, the rest of the pack is fed and ready for the plans for the day - hiking to the top of the waterfall.

 

“So, there’s two separate routes to the top.” Scott explains, holding out a map as the rest of the pack hovers around him. “This one -" Stiles points out to show them as his best friend speaks, “takes the longest to get there, but the trail isn’t as treacherous. The other one -" Stiles points once again, “isn’t really recommended for anyone who isn’t willing to fall down a few times.” Scott finishes, glancing at Stiles knowingly.

 

Stiles playfully punches Scott in the shoulder. “Come on, you used to fall a hell of a lot more than me before you got the bite of a lifetime and started sprouting facial hair out of your cheeks faster than you could lose your breath.” He teases.

 

“Well, I’m always up for a challenge.” Derek cuts in, arm around Braeden, who has a smirk on her face.

 

“No way I’m taking a longer way if I don’t have to.” Isaac says.

 

“I’m not sure I’m up for a difficult hike today.” Lydia interjects. _Or any other day,_ she adds in her mind.

 

“I’m with Lydia, we all know I’m not the most _balanced_ person here.” Kira pipes up.

 

“Okay, so two for long route and four for dangerous.” Scott reiterates. “Malia, Mason, Liam, what do you think?”

 

“Well I’m definitely here for changing things up, so dangerous for me.” Mason says, a certain level of excitement in his voice.

 

Liam points to his best friend. “I’m in for dangerous.”

 

Scott shifts his gaze to Malia. “What about you?”

 

“Dangerous!”

 

Lydia coughs to gain Kira's attention, and they share a quick glance before Kira nudges Malia lightly in the ribs, causing her to sputter.

 

“Uh, I should probably go with Kira and Lydia, just so we can keep in contact in case anything happens.”

 

 _Nice save_ , Lydia thinks, lowering the eyebrow she’d raised.

 

Scott just nods. “We’ll be meeting up here - “He points out to one section of the map. “Then there’s only a few yards to go before the waterfall.” Then he hands the folded map to Lydia. “You guys can have the map, Stiles and I know the trails pretty well.”

 

The pack starts to dissolve as they head to the different trails, but Stiles lags behind. He slings his backpack over his shoulder and brushes up against Lydia’s right arm before leaning closer.“Can we talk about last night?” He asks, low enough that the weres won’t hear.

 

Lydia nods curtly. “Later.” She whispers. He gives her a quizzical look, and his hand absently rests on the small of her back - jolting her senses. “Not here.” She manages, mimicking his volume.

 

“‘Kay.” His hand lingers on her back as he draws away, she can feel his fingers slide away separately before the touch is severed. It may have only been there for a few seconds, but it still leaves her skin electrified and her mind reeling.

 

* * *

 

"You kissed him?"

 

Kira squeals and claps her hands as Lydia scolds her, finger pressed to her lips as they walk side by side on the trail.

 

"Kira! We are camping with half a dozen shapeshifters who, need I remind you, can still _hear_ you!" She hisses.

 

Kira nods. "Sorry."

 

"So what was it like?" Malia joins the interrogation, arms moving loosely as she walks ahead of them, head thrown back to them.

 

Lydia shrugs. "I mean, at least this time he wasn't having a panic attack-"

 

"You've kissed him before?!" Kira's voice raises a few octaves and Lydia throws her a dirty look. "Right, super hearing. Sorry."

 

"Okay, so you kissed. Then what?" Malia presses on, and Lydia swears she sees a mini eye roll.

 

"Then, Liam appears out of nowhere and kind of ruined the moment." Lydia finishes.

 

Kira covers her eyes, mirroring the banshee’s inner embarrassment, while Malia smirks to contain laughter.

 

“What?” Lydia crosses her arms in front of her, and her best friends can’t contain the laughter that bubbles up.

 

“Only you two would have this much trouble getting things figured out. It’s not like you’re both geniuses or anything.” Malia manages between guffaws, not looking back at the other girls.

 

“Oh really. Does that mean you’ve figured things out with Isaac yet?” The redhead throws back, and feels smug when the coyote’s stride stumbles over nothing.

 

“Malia?” Kira prods after a few moments of silence.

 

Malia stops in the middle of the trail and turns back to her friends. “He kind of hasn’t talked to me since we went skinny dipping.” She tells the ground.

 

Lydia shares a confused look with Kira before asking, “Is he ignoring you?”

 

Malia shyly looks up and gives a short nod. “I think so. He won’t even look at me since we played ‘I Never’.”

 

“But he lost too, he admitted he liked someone in the pack.” Kira mumbles, confused.

 

Malia just shrugs before turning around and taking a step forward to continue down the trail.

 

“Looks like the only one who has their love life figured out is you.” Lydia points to Kira, her tone heavily cynical.

 

Kira laughs and plays it off. “Well, there had to be at least one well adjusted girl in this trio.”

 

Neither girl lets her away with that comment - teasing and banter is constant for the rest of the trek.

 

* * *

 

“I kissed Lydia last night.”

 

Scott’s face lights up with the revelation. He turns back to look at the rest of the pack following, deciding the distance was enough for this conversation. “Dude, why am I only hearing about this now?”

 

Stiles shrugs. “I don’t know. I mean, we didn’t really get to talk about it and it kind of left of awkward?” He frowns. “Okay, kind of is just a little bit of an understatement.” He amends.

 

Scott’s eyebrows knit together. “What do you mean?”

 

Stiles recounts stargazing, and how Lydia was doing more gazing at _him_ and how she leaned in. And then how Liam bumped into the stump and how the moment just kind of, well, ended.

 

Stiles finishes his story as they come across a break in the trail, having to jump down off a cliff and cross over a creek before continuing on.

 

“And I almost kissed her earlier too, when we got the jeep stuck.” Stiles continues.

 

Scott chuckles. “Somehow, I don’t think Lydia had anything to do with you getting stuck. You tried to take the shortcut again, didn’t you?”

 

“Seriously, that’s what you’re picking out of that statement?” Stiles gives his best friend a look. “And of course I tried the shortcut, driving out here takes _so_ long.”

 

Scott just laughs and shakes his head. “Well, how was it then?” He asks before climbing up a steep hill back into the trail. Stiles stumbles a bit, and Scott grasps his wrist to steady him and pull him up.

 

Stiles mumbles a thanks. “It was _perfect_. Come on, it’s not like I get to kiss Lydia Martin everyday!”

 

"Uh huh. Well you might want to have a conversation about it before you jump to any conclusions."

 

Stiles scrunched up his nose at the comment. "Who says I'm jumping to conclusions!"

 

Scott raises his eyebrows. "Coming from the guy who had me thinking I gave permission to Kira to screw other guys last summer."

 

Stiles stops short, but the alpha waves him off. "I'm just saying, make sure you know what you're getting into before you get in too deep."

 

The thought of Lydia not wanting anything concrete weighs on his mind the rest of the hike.

 

* * *

 

"Well, well, well." Malia drawls as the boys (plus Braeden) finally come into view. "Don't tell me we beat you here?!" She adds, smile over her face and arms crossed.

 

Scott doesn't appear to care much, while Stiles just rolls his eyes. Isaac looks extremely offended.

 

"We would have been here earlier, but _someone_ had to fall into a hole." The beta sneers, and a very sheepish Liam turns bright red.

 

"Excuses." Lydia quips before handing the map back to Scott. "Let's see this waterfall, shall we?"

 

The pack heads to the edge of the cliff, where the rushing water is billowing. It’s almost deafening, the only sound that’s louder than the rushing of the river is her heartbeat in her chest. Lydia’s breath catches when she sees just how high up they are, and takes in the beauty of something so pure and regal. Everything else seems to melt away as she shuffles closer, peering down at the swimming hole below her.

 

“Stiles?”

 

Scott's voice breaks Lydia's concentration from the flowing jets of water. She hears Stiles’ reply from her right.

 

“Phase three.”

 

And then there's a breeze blowing by Lydia, her head turning to the source, only to find the alpha as just taken off at full speed to hurtle over the cliff.

 

“Whoo!”

 

Lydia’s heart hammers harder against her sternum as she follows Scott’ trajectory into the dark water, where he lands with a satisfying splash. Malia and Isaac are whooping with him, and are the first to join him in the water. Malia goes first, her long legs carrying her quickly before heading over the edge headfirst. Isaac’s close behind, pulling his legs under him when he jumps to achieve maximum splash potential.

 

Mason and Liam are chased over the cliff by Derek, a playful growl escaping him as they fall over. Braeden laughs openly and follows, arms pointed above her head in a dive.

 

Kira’s next, pulling her hair out of her face with an elastic before she goes, plummeting straight down with a smile on her face.

 

Lydia feels disoriented from the steady and frantic pumping of her heart against her rib cage - she's never done something so reckless. Sure, she's used diving boards and the like, but this has _danger_ written all over it.

 

“Lyds, you okay?”

 

The fear turns to ice in her veins. “I'm fine.” She snaps.

 

One of Stiles’ hands grasps her shoulder, turning her to face him. “You've never done this before, either?” He says, echoing their conversation from last night.

 

Lydia knows it's silly to feel embarrassed, she's done plenty of things that qualify as “teenage recklessness”. She can feel the burn creep up on the apples of her cheeks and turns away.

 

Lydia can’t help but feel something empty filling up her chest, where there had been so much energy moments before. She wonders how she’d missed out on all of these _things_ , situations and experiences that feel like a rite of passage. How did she get so mixed up in the supernatural world that it had affected so much in her world? Lydia knows she’s far from normal, but sometimes she wishes she could afford such a luxury.

 

But then Stiles laces their fingers together, and the frantic energy sputters back to life in her. She flexes her fingers against the back of his hand, the rough and calloused skin giving her something to ground herself to.

 

“Together?” Lydia doesn’t miss the hint in his tone of voice, that he’s not just talking about jumping off this cliff together.

 

Lydia's stomach flips at the notion of being _together_ with Stiles. For so long it had been Lydia Martin against the world, fighting against the unknown surrounded by pack, but somehow she’d still felt alone.

 

Here was her chance to change that. Stiles had always _been_ there, but more as a friend than anything else, even though if she were being honest with herself, she’d wanted more than that with him. Maybe she was allowed this little bit of normal.

 

Lydia nods. “Together.”

 

Stiles beams at her before he glances down again. “Ready?”

 

Lydia nods again and they shuffle backward before taking off at a run and jumping off the side, still holding hands.

 

The world seems to rush towards her in the few seconds of free falling. There’s nothing but the rushing energy of the river, the whizzing of air past her ears, the grip of Stiles’ fingers, the triumphant laugh that escapes him and pierces her ears. Everything about it is magnetic, and somehow Lydia pushes past the fear and a smile breaks over her face just as they plunge into the water.

 

The only thing more terrifying than jumping over the side of a cliff it seems, would be doing it alone.

 

* * *

 

They spend the rest of the day in the swimming hole - Scott shows them how to easily get to another ledge in the face of the cliffs around the waterfall to jump off into the water. Lydia doesn’t even care that her clothes are waterlogged and probably stretched out beyond repair, she can’t remember the last time she’d felt this _free_.

 

Mason, Liam, Braeden and Derek have taken to judging people’s jumps into the water, shouting out anything from “10!” to “abomination!” as a score.

 

To be fair, Stiles is the only one who gets an abomination - after an incredibly terribly attempt at a belly flop that results in tearing a hole in the right knee of his jeans. Kira and Malia end up tying for the title - Kira’s backflip dive has everyone astounded, and Malia looks like she belongs in the water with some of her dives, completely effortless and nearly splash less.

 

Lydia spends most of her time in the water, something about the churning water at the base of the waterfall draws her there, her heart keeping time with it. She laughs and watches with the rest of them as they each do 3 different jumps. After the competition subsides, Stiles joins her at the bottom of the waterfall.

 

“Wanna see something?” He asks quietly, jerking his head up towards the jumping rock.

 

“Stiles, I’m pretty sure I’ve already seen what you want to show me.” Lydia raises her eyebrows in the same direction.

 

“What?” Stiles blanches.

 

“Not _that_ , smart ass.” Lydia laughs, pointing up towards the waterfall. “I’m assuming you want to show me the false wall behind the waterfall?”

 

Stiles’ takes a second to gather his bearings, before nodding dumbly. She smiles and follows him up the cliff.

 

He helps her up onto the ledge, before pulling her along the edge of the stream of water bearing down to the swimming hole. He gives her a smile before jumping through the streaming water, landing on the other side. “Come on, Lydia!”

 

Lydia blows a breath over her lips before hurtling through the waterfall, slipping a bit on the wet rocks underneath it. She feels herself slipping before shaking hands wrap around her middle and pull her closer.

 

“Woah-ho, I got’cha.”

 

Lydia’s heartbeat races again, leading her to firmly plant her belief that this boy will end up giving her a heart attack. But somehow, she can’t seem to find a reason why that would be a bad thing.

 

Stiles removes his hands when it’s apparent she’s steady on her feet. He threads his fingers through hers and leads her back to the edge where the water is rushing downward, and sits down.

 

Lydia follows suit, the spaces between her fingers spreading a warmth throughout her. It shouldn’t be this big of a deal - she’s held hands with him before, but it feels like it’s a big deal.

 

They spend a few minutes watching a wall of white spray as it speeds towards their feet, and as beautiful as it is, Lydia’s not breathless from the scenery.

 

“So,” Stiles whistles, pointedly taking his eyes away from the water.

 

“Yeah.” Lydia nods, her voice feeling very small.

 

“Okay, I’m just gonna get this out before I say something stupid and ruin whatever it is that we’ve got going on here.” Stiles bursts out, turning towards her as he says it.

 

Lydia says nothing, not that Stiles would have given her the chance.

 

“I mean, we kissed last night and, _god_ , it was amazing. And I don’t know what you want from me, err, if you just want to be friends or something serious or - man I don’t know -”

 

Lydia rushes forward and swallows up his words, desperate to stop him from spiraling. He freezes for a second before making a “mmph” sound against her lips, his free hand cradling her cheek. She tries to put everything she’d been feeling for him into it, pressing firmly and maybe a little desperately to him.

 

When she pulls away, he looks completely in awe of her, lips still parted and irises blown out. Lydia tries really hard to keep her face serious, but a smile creeps onto her features.

 

“ _Wow_.” Stiles mumbles, lips still barely inches from hers.

 

Lydia hums. “Yeah.”

 

Stiles rests his forehead on hers, amber eyes looking directly into hers. “So, what does this mean?” He asks softly.

 

Lydia shrugs her shoulders, her heart still racing. “It doesn't have to mean anything serious, but let’s just, see where this goes?” She suggests, peering up at him while she waves her finger in between them.

 

Stiles presses his lips together, nodding slowly. “Uh. Yeah, we could do that.”

 

Lydia grins when he leans back into her, kissing her again under the rushing of the waterfall.

 

* * *

 

By 3:00, the pack reluctantly starts to vacate the swimming hole in order to pack up the campsite.

 

Lydia’s body feels exhausted, but the rest of her is still thrumming with energy as she helps empty out the contents the tent. Slowly but surely, the air mattresses, sleeping bags, bags of clothes, and pillows are all loaded into the jeep.

 

She and Stiles keep sharing meaningful looks as the pack takes down the tent, but for once Lydia doesn't care if anyone sees. And it feels _good_.

 

Just as the sun begins to set thy finish up, the flattened grass and ashes from the fire pit the only evidence they’d ever been here. Braeden and Mason are dressed back up in their biking gear before taking off, and Scott leads the weres back through the woods.

 

Lydia settles into the passenger seat of the jeep, knowing a long drive is ahead. Parts of her are dreading leaving these woods, but others are excited for next week - when they’ll make the big move from Beacon Hills to San Francisco.

 

Stiles rests his right hand on her thigh when he’s able to maintain a speed, and Lydia draws invisible tattoos on his palm for most of the drive.

 

It's familiar and right and _true_ , but new - just like the inevitable changes ahead.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm [savingsciles](http://savingsciles.tumblr.com/) on tumblr!
> 
> leave a comment or msg me on tumblr to tell me what you thought!


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